Ojf acid sludge and spent cx



I J. M. CORY ET AL METHOD OF DISPOSING OF ACID S LUDGE'AND SPENT CLAY IN OIL REFININC' I t-ANTS Filed Jan 27, 1926 onrrs s'rrss rear JAMES M CORY AND-FRED H. BUNKE, 0F LIIfiA, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE SOLAR BEFINIEQG COMFANY, OF

EMA, OHIO,- A CORPORATION 933 OHIO.

METHOD OF DISPOSING OF ACID SLUDGE AND SPENT CLAY IN OlL-BEFINING PLANTS.

Application filed January 27, 1926.

This invent-ioi'i relates to a method of dis posing of acid sludge and spent clay in oil refining plants, the object being toprovide a method by means of which acid sludge and spent clay used in retiningoiis can be converted into a liquid fuel and consumed so that these useless products can be disposedof and a fuel produced and used in a refining plant. I

' Acid sludge is a product formed when hydrocarbon oils are treated with acids such as sulphuric acid or hydrochloric acid and is known in the oil trade as the pitchy ma terial that settles in the bottom ofthe agitator after acids, such as sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid or any other acids have been added to the hydrocarbon oil for the purpose of doing what 'is known as treating the petroleum in the refining trade,

Spent clay is what is known in the-uni refining trade as the used clay resulting from the use'of clay in combination with hydrocarbon, vegetable or animal oil to reline or bri hten such oils.

The met 0d is especially designed for the disposition of the products lrnown as acid sludge and used filtering mediums, such as fullers earth, clay, plaster Paris or other similar products. 1 In the drawing we have sho wn diagrammaticall'y one form of an apparatustor carrying outour improved method for the disposit-ion of acid sludge and a filtering medium by producing a liquid fuel and'burning the same, in which 1 indicates an ordinary agitater in which acids, such as sulphuric acid, is added to petroleum for the purpose oli treating. The acid sludge resulting from such treatment is allowed to settle in the bottom of said agitator and is drawn or forced off.

. In the form of apparatus'shown thcfagitater is provided with a conical bottom having a valveeontrolled outlet 2 in communication with a: pipe line 3 which is connectcd .to'an agitator 4. and is provided with a valve 5; [,A suitable steam jet 6 is disposed in the end of the pipe line so that the acid sludge can be forced into the agitator l, but, of course, it is understood that any suitable means for conveying the acid sludge from the agitator 1 to the agitator a: can be used, as the same can by gravity or any other suitable conveying means can be employed.

he allowed to llow Serial No. 84,153.

The agitator 4: is provided with steam coils 7 having steam jetsiso that an even distribution of live or exhaust steam will be released in the bottom of the agitator so as to heat and agitate the contents of said agitator and while we have shown a particular form of heating coil in which the feed line pipes extend through the top thereof and are connected to a header, '1 t is, of course, understood that the particular construction is innnaterial long as live or exhaust steam is released in the agitator for the purpose ot heating and agitating the contents thereof. V

The acid in the acid sludge'which is delivered from the agitator 1 into the agitator l is allowed to settle and is drawn oil through the pipe line 8.

Spent ing medium is delivered into a tank 9 and oil mixed with this filtering medium and the.v same thoroughly agitated until it is of the right consistenc so that it will flow. This mixed product is then forced by a pump 10 through a pipe line 11 into the agitator 4 and at the same time live steam is being introduced into the agitator 4 so that the clay and oil is mixed with the acid sludge.

As this agitation continues in the agitator V 4, incl oil, tank bottoms, other low gravity tator 4 is then forced or drawn off by gravity through a pipe line 15 to a liquid burner 1'13 disposed under a still or boiler ot-the oil refining plant and used.

The fuel thus produced within the agitator is maintained in a liquid form by a continuous agitation of the entrance of live or exhaust steam so that it will be maintained at the right consistency and it is, of course, understood that it could be stored in a suitable tank and maintained in a liquid state so that it could be forced from this tank to a burner.

The method of converting acid sludge and filtering medium into a commercially useful burn-able product as developed by us is as follows 1-- The acid sludge formed when hydrocarclay or any other suitable filterbons or petroleum oils are mixed with sulphuric acid or hydrochloric acid or other acids is removed from the bottom of the agitator by the use of a jet of live steam and blown into an agitator or tank, the particular manner of conveying the acid sludge from the main agitator to the tank or agitator used to produce the burning fuel being immaterial.

The tank into which the acid sludge is deposited is fitted with steam coils from which live or exhaust steam may be forced into, and mixedwith the contents of the tank. The acid contained in the acid sludge is now allowed to settle (as much as will) and is drawn from the bottom of the tank or container.

The spent clay treated with an oil as described above or any other solid such as coke or coal dust, plaster of Paris, dalmetios earth, colloidal clay, bauxite, fullers earth, pyrophyllite, montmorillonite or similar substances held in suspension in oil', tar or pitch or like substances, is now pumped into the acid sludge from which a portion of the acid has been removed and at the same time liveor exhaust steam is introduced into the coils until the clay or other above-mentioned material is thoroughly mixed with the pitch or/and sludge. 'Fuel oil, tank bottoms or other low gravity petroleum products or other-burnable fluxing medium is now'added until the mixture is of such a consistency that it will burn satisfactoril in a liquid fuel burner. The fuel is now Kept in agitation with steam and me be pumped direct 'to burners or other tan s where it is kept in agitation with steam.

Our method can also be carried out in the following manner: Acid sludge formed in the agitator when the hydrocarbon or petroleum oils are mixed with a suitable acid, is removed from-the bottom of the agitator and conveyed to a tank in whichlive or exhaust steam is being liberated so as to thoroughly heat and agitate the acid sludge delivered thereto: The acidcontained in the acid sludge is now allowed to settle and is drawn off from the bottom of the tank or container. Spent clay or any other finely ground material,'such as coke or coal dust, plaster of Paris, dalmetios earth, colloidal clay, bau'xite, fullers earth pyrophyllite, montmorillonite or similar s 'iistanc es is then delivered to the tank or container in which the acid sludge is being agitated by the live'or exhaust steam and at the same time fuel oil,

tank bottoms or other low gravity petroleum products is delivered into the tank or container and these products are thoroughly mixed together in orderto produce a liquid fuel of such a consistency that it will flow readily and will burn satisfactorily in' a liquid fuel burner. Y

This method differs from the first method only in the use of a dry comminuted material instead of a comminuted material be' held in suspension in oil, as we have fou fig that the acid sludge by mixing a comminuted material and oil therewith produces a valuable fuel oil.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that we have simple and novel method of forming a liquid fuel from the waste products of an oil refining plant which not only utilizes these products to produce a useful fuel, but also disposes of these products.

What we claim is 1. The-method of preparing a liquid fuel consisting in mixing acid sludge, a filtering medium and a fluxrng medium together in the presence of aheating medium.

2. The method of preparing a liquid fuel, consisting in mixing acid sludge spent clay and tank bottoms of steam.

3. The method of preparin a liquid fuel, consisting in mixing acid slu ge, spent clay and oil together in the presence of steam.

provided an exceedingly;

together in the presence a fluid fuel from acid sludge and a filtering medium consisting in first removing the greater portion of acid from said sludge, second treating the filtering medium with a carrying medium and then, mixing the sludge and treated filtering medium with a fluxiug medium in the presence of a heating medium. v

5. The herein described method of making a fluid fuel from acid sludge, flu me: dium and a comminuted material consisting in first removing'a greater portion of acid from'the sludge, second treatin the comminu'ted material with oil and t en mixing the sludge and comminuted material together with'oil in the presence of steam.

6. The method of manufacturing a fluid fuel consisting in first mixing oil with a filtering medium, then mixing the roduct produced with acid sludge and oil in t epresonce of steam. v 7. The method of manufacturing a fluid fuel consisting in first mixing oil with a fi l-' tering medium until the filtering-medium 15 held in suspension in oil, then mixlng the product produced with acid sludge and a fluxing medium in the presence of steam. 8. The method of manufacturing a fluid fuel consisting in mixing acid sludge, com.- minuted material and oil together in the presence of steam. 1

9. The method of manufacturing a fluid fuel consisting in mixing acid sludge, corn: minuted material and a fluxing medium to gather in the presence of steam.

10. The method of manufacturing a fluid fuel consisting in mixing acid sludge, spent ll. The method of producing commercial fuel from acid sludge consisting in introducing into the acid sludge comminuted material and oil and mixing the same in the presence of stea1n 12. The method of producing eommerelal fuel from acid sludge consisting in introduring;- into :uid sludge a filtering medium and a tluxinc medium and mixing the same in the presence of a liberated heating medium.

13. A. liquid fuel composed of acid sludge, a filming medium and a fluxing medium.

l4. liquid fuel composed of acid sludge, spent, clay and oil.

15. A liquid fuel composed of acid sludge, omminuted material and oil.

16. The method of making a fluid fuel from acid sludge consisting n first remo ing a greater portion of the acid from the sludge and then introducing into the sludge a cen'uninuted material and oil in the presence of steam.

17. The method of manufacturing a fluid fuel consisting in mixing acid sludge, c0mminuted material and oil together in the presence of steam.

18. The herein described method of manu faeturing a fluid fuel consisting in removing a portion of the acid from acid sludge and simultaneously mixing the acid sludge, eomminuted material and oil in the presence of steam.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures.

JAMES M. CORY. FRED H. BUNKE. 

